Improvement in toys



abated wwaggggggawmw muy JOHN L. HOLT, OEPROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

' Laim Patat No. 83,160, dated caoba 20,1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOYS.

To all whom 'it may concer-az.:

kBe it known that I, JOHN L. HoLT, of Providence, in the county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Toys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved toy.

Figure 2 is a detail side view of one portion of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Figure 4, Sheet I, is a back view of the same.

Figure 5, Sheet I, is a detail vertical transverse section of it.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Thisinvention relates toa new toy, in which iigures or images of animals or men, provided with swinging limbs or parts, are made to oscillate, so that they will throw their limbs or swiliging-attachments in imitation of nature, or to form grotesque positions and motions.

lhe invention consists in attaching such a figlue or image to a pendulum that consists of' a semicircular stem projectingr from a fork, the fork resting with its ends upon a table, or upon any other suitable support, the weight or pendulum-ball causing it to swing. The ligure or image, which is fastened to the penduhun at or near the junction of the fork and stem, will thus also swing, and will, by the force of gravity', have its limbs or loose parts thrown up and down, thereby forming a constantly-varying picture, productive of amusement and instruction. Y

rlhe invention also consists in a new apparatus for attaching the afbresaid limbs or loose parts to the body of the figure or image, and also in a novel device f'or attaching the figiu'cs to the pendulum, and in a new manner of stifl'ening figures made of paper or other soft material.

A, in the drawing, represents a rod made of wire or other material, and bent into semicircular or equivalent form. Its upper end is attached to the middle of a U-shaped bar or wire, B, while to its lower end a ball or weight, C, is secured. l

When the aforesaid instrument is placed upon u table, in the manner shown in the drawing, t. c., with the ends of the fork B on the table, and with the weight under the table, it will balance itself' on the ends of the fork, and will, when set in motion, swing around the ends ofthe fork like any ordinary pendulum.

At the jimction ofthe rod A with the fork B is attached to the device a circular plate, D, which has one or more radial sockets, o c, to receive pins or tenons,

b b, projecting from a paper orother figure or image,

E. The socket in the plate D may also be formed by means of a spring, g, as shown in gs. 4 and 5. In this latter case a recess or indentation is formed on one side of the disk, and the spring ts With its upper loose end into this recess, as shown, so as to clamp the pin or tenon b, in the manner shown.

This tenon b may be the lower end of a sheet-metal bar or plate, G, which is fastened to the back or non- 'painted side of the figure E, as ing. 4. The best methodv of fastening the plate G to the igure E is that shown in fig. 4, which is to strike out, by cutting-two of its sides, a triangular piece, h, from the plate G, and by then bending the said piece h, and fitting it through the paper or other figure E, as shown in iig. 5, and by then bending its end up or down again, as shown, thereby securely connecting the parts E Gr. l

Instead of the disk D, a projecting arm or other equivalent device may be used.

The figure E will, when the pendulum is set in motion, swing with it. The figure is provided with limbs or parts F F, which are pivofed to it, so that they will swing independent of the figure around their own pivots. These pivots are round pins, c, provided with projecting sheet-metal arms l d, that have pointed ends, which ends are bent and forced into or through the body of the iigiu'e, as shown.

The arms l are firmly soldered to the pin c, andv serve to secure it to the body. The limbs or parts F are then fitted upon the projecting end of the pin o, and confined by a head, e, formed onIthe latter. To facilitate the easy motion of the limbs, I prefer to line the perfbrations formed through them by means of eyelets j, as shown. In this manner the limbs are made to swing around a stationary pivot, but theyvma'y, with equal or better advantage, be fixed to-swinging pivots in the following manner A tubular support, t, is fitted to and through the gureE in the same or in similar manner in which the pin'c is fastened thereto. Through thisr tube i is fitted a pin, j, to the ends, or to one end of which the member or part F is rmly secured in suitable manner. The bearings for the member or movable extremities are thus on the whole length of the pin j, as in fig. 5, while by the former plu-n they were only as long as the eyelet.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Datentl. The toy consisting of the self-sustaining pendulum A B C, and of the figures or images E E, having loose swinging limbs or part F F attached thereto, so that constantly-varyil1g pictiu'es and positions are produced, substantially as described. j

2. The pins o, when provided with the fasteningarms Il, and when secured to the images E, tov suspend the limbs F, as specied.

3. The disk D, when provided with asocket, or with its equivalent, the spring g, and when so arranged that gures 01 images can be easily fastened to :rnd removed i'oln it, :is specified.

4. The manner herein shown and described of fastening the sustaining-plates G t0 the gures E,vby eutting pointed portions h out of the former, and iiistening them to the iigures, as set fort-h. A

5. The manner herein shown and described, of suspending the members F om the igures E, by fastening,- tubes i to the figures, and pins j t0 the members, and securing and arranging all as herein shown and described.

JOHN Ll HOLT.

Witnesses J.' J. MABKLAX, HORATIO ROGERS. 

